Keto-approved recipes

A question for all my single lady fans: How do you get a man to propose? Do you make sure you are nice to his family especially is a mom? Do you wash his clothes and cater to him all day long? Do you answer ‘yes sir’ to his every demand? What do you do? Well, all know that the way to man’s heart is through his stomach but most recently, there are rumors going around that a roasted chicken could land you an engagement ring! Yes, you read right.

According to a recent report, an engagement chicken meal is a reason Prince Harry put a ring on Meghan Mackle’s finger. Eyes wide open wondering. O.k. so I have been married 7+ years but I couldn’t help but wonder if I could have won my husband over with this chicken. So I decided to try out this recipe for you my single lady fans because I am hoping you tie the knot sooner than later and if engagement chicken will speed things up, why not?

So rumors have it, that one boss like that gave her worker this recipe and 3 months later, the worker was engaged. The same recipe was given to three other workers in the same company and they too got engaged. Meaning, there’s something about this chicken recipe. So what’s in it?

How to cook engagement chicken

You would not believe me when I tell you that all you need is lemons, salt, and black pepper. That’s how ridiculously easy this recipe is. All you have to do is rub salt and pepper on the chicken, squeeze some lemon juice on it and stuff some lemon in the chicken cavity. I really didn’t want to believe that this was all about the recipe yet I tried it. To me, it tasted just citrusy and though the chicken was quite juicy and tender, I needed to add a Zeelicious touch to it.

Engagement chicken recipe

To add more taste to this engagement chicken, I added butter to the lemon juice and also robbed the chicken with butter as it cooked. . A bright dish with a finishing splash of lemon juice responds well to a wine with a nice, bright citrus flavor like the Mainzer Dommherr which I used for this recipe. This made the citrus flavor pop after cooking it for hours and making sure that the alcohol is all cooked out. Because this was my second trial, I thought the chicken could use less lemon and some minced garlic. That’s what I recommend but all-in-all, this engagement chicken tasted really good especially as I combined it with Plantain gnocchi (which I will be sharing next) and a vegan coconut gravy. Ok. let’s cook, shall we?

SHARE THE HEALTH!

If you try this recipe, I would sincerely love your feedback in the comments area below. You can also twit, Facebook orInstagram me a picture because as always, I love to see your own creation.

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Engagement Chicken

Auntie Zee's take on the popular engagement chicken. A bright citrusy chicken recipe with a splash of white wine and butter.

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1whole chickenabout 1500g

1/4cuplemon juicefreshly squeezed

1/4cupwhite wine

2tbsp.buttermelted

1tbsp.black peppercrushed

2tbsp.extra virgin olive oil

green herbs (e.g sage or cilantro)for stuffing

salt and chicken seasoningto taste

Instructions

Clean chicken with lemon juice or vinegar, dry and set aside.

Mix all other ingredients in a bowl and rob brush mixture in and out of the chicken very well. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight preferably. Butter might harden which is o.k.

When you are ready to cook it, heat oven to 200°, place chicken on a rack which will enable liquid to drip off. This will enable chicken to become crispy and not soggy. Place the rack on a oven tray and grill for about 1h 30 mins while brushing more marinade every 15 minutes.

Serve chicken with a side of stir-fried veggies for a low-carb option or with some fried plantains.

If you are looking for a crunchy and creamy backup for your savory or spicy Thanksgiving turkey, this is it! My insanely delicious tri-color coleslaw is a hit with grills and roasts. Nothing fancy. Just the classics: red and white cabbage, some carrots mixed in a very creamy mayonnaise dressing.

How to turn cabbage into a classic coleslaw

I’ve always been known to simplify life in the kitchen as much as I can. That is no different with this recipe. To make this coleslaw, I toss together red and white cabbage, salt it and drain to keep the crisp. I love the color explosion. It is so pretty! Then, shred some cabbage and toss ’em in a creamy mayonnaise dressing, chill and enjoy. That’s just about it. It can be done in 5 minutes. Love!

Making the creamy mayonnaise dressing for coleslaw

Homemade mayonnaise is your best option for this salad macédoine recipe. But you can use store-bought mayonnaise as well. Just made sure there are no additives and preservatives. Sometimes, I add lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (ACV), mild-tasting mustard, salt and some black pepper to my mayonnaise for added taste. Of course, you can keep it simple if you use just mayonnaise.

Keeping coleslaw crunchy

Cabbage is crunchiest when eaten immediately it is made. The longer it is stored, the more it tends to release water and becomes soggy. If you must prep your coleslaw ahead of time to save time, make sure to salt and drain your cabbage. This will help keep the crunch longer.

Let’s make tri-color coleslaw

Slaw is best consumed chilled. So when you make that coleslaw, let it rest in the fridge for an hour or two before pairing it with your grilled chicken or fish. Heavenly!

If you try this recipe, I would sincerely love your feedback in the comments area below. You can also twit, Facebook or Instagram me a picture because as always, I love to see your own creation. You have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration and remember, be thankful, always.

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Insanely delicious Coleslaw

Prep Time

10mins

This coleslaw is the best match for your Thanksgiving turkey. It is creamy, crunchy in texture, and tangy in flavor which pairs well with roasts and grills.

Course:
Salad

Servings: 6people

Author: Zita Bernice Tiena

Ingredients

For the salad

1/2headwhite cabbage

1/2 headred cabbage

3 carrots

For the dressing

6 tbspmayonnaisehomemade or store-bought

1tspmustardoptional

1tbspapple cider vinegar (ACV)optional

salta pinch

1/4tspblack pepperoptional

Instructions

Prep the veggies

Wash and shred cabbage

Add salt to white and red cabbage separately. Allow water to ooze out and drain.

What I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving season

Thanksgiving is one of the feasts I celebrate because it’s all about gratitude, contentment and being thankful for those ‘little things’ that God has blessed me with. There’s so much to be thankful for my lovelies that I do not even know where to start. This season, I am so thankful for where I am in my life right now. I think I should write a separate post about this or?

How to cook suya spice Thanksgiving Turkey

Unlike normal chicken, turkey does take some time to cook and it requires ‘heavier’ seasoning and longer marinating time. So make sure you thaw your turkey in the refrigerator days before your oven-grill it. Mine was a small one, just about 3 kilograms or about 5 pounds. I thawed it for a day and then marinated it with homemade suya spice. The trick here is to exaggerate the salt and seasoning a bit before brushing your marinade in and outside of the turkey. Then, let it marinate again in the fridge overnight before the d-day.

Stuffing Thanksgiving turkey

I had the idea of stuffing my Thanksgiving turkey while watching a food show on food network. The general stuffing for Thanksgiving turkey is savory and a little sweet, warm and soft but a little crunchy on the outside, most often a combination of apples, sausages, and green leafy herbs. Some people use Irish potatoes as well. The idea behind stuffing the turkey is to create a side dish for the turkey while introducing more flavor during grilling. Also, stuffings are always cooked before inserting it into the turkey. But you guys know that there are no rules in my kitchen. Ha!

I stuffed my turkey with raw veggies, some ginger, garlic and fresh thyme just to enhance the flavor. Again, that’s just me! So feel free to follow the traditional methods if you please.

Grilling your Thanksgiving Turkey

This turkey takes looooooooog to cook. It’s a 3-hour cooking process. That’s if you want to obtain fall-off-the-bone extra juicy and tender turkey this Thanksgiving. It is a process of continuous grilling and brushing. You will have to take out the turkey from the oven and brush it with your marinade, the juices that is oozing out of the turkey to your baking tray and some melted butter. Butter will give it that golden brown color and crispy skin.

Sides

I enjoyed this turkey with a side of broccoli, cauliflower and green beans which were first steamed and the stir-fried for a min in butter. The ultimate low-carb/keto combo. Yum!

Now that the festive season is around the corner, you just might want to save this recipe for Christmas too. Great right? I know!!! So without further ado, let’s get cooking. If you try this recipe, I would sincerely love your feedback in the comments area below. You can also twit, Facebook or Instagram me a picture because as always, I love to see your own creation. Have another recipe for chicken? Please share!

Say hello to my new best friend: Efo riro! Efo riro actually needs no introduction but if you’re from my part of the world, this may sound strange to ya! Don’t freak out! Efo riro is one of the most popular dishes in Nigerian. Efo means vegetable soup. This meals is particularly enjoyed by the Yoruba’s of Nigerian but loved and enjoyed by many other tribes as well.

It is made using just about any green leafy vegetable like kale, ugwu, soko or spinach, cooked in a red bell peppers-onion sauce with palm oil and lots of assorted meats. But you know Auntie Zee. I love to add my own signature to food and in my kitchen, nothing is out of bounce.

A reason to jubilate

Wait! Believe it or not, I found green (efo tete/African spinach) at my local Afro shop (African store). Pause….and do a praise break (eh eh eh eh my God is good oooo). I couldn’t believe my eyes when I spotted fresh green sitting pretty in one basket like that as if to say ‘take me, take me, take me’. You know Auntie Zee did not waste time! I rushed to that basket with a speed faster than light fam. Ha! Who deh loss sense? Needless to say that I bought the whole stock available. Opportunities like these come once in 10 years in these parts. Grab it!

The Original Efo Riro Recipe

The original version calls for the use of fresh red bell peppers aka. tatashe ONLY!!! I have tried with red bell peppers only and it tasted o.k. in my humble opinion. Iru or locust beans and crayfish are also a must in this recipe. I personally love iru in stews but not so much in vegetables so I opted out on this one. Issa (it’s a) no no for me!

My version of Efo riro

For my version of Efo riro, I am using green also known as African spinach or Efo tete in Nigeria. I use a mixture of smoked bell peppers and fresh deseeded tomotoes, lots of assorted meats as well and some fresh prawns. This is one recipe that you’ll enjoy and even lick your fingers my lovies. I know my Cameroonian friends will love this one since it is so similar to fried green except for the addition of dried catfish which takes this dish to a whole new level. So good!

How I cook my Efo riro

First, I boil my meats with some salt, beef seasoning powder and onions. You don’t want to season heavily during this process because meats have a distinct taste. If you season heavily, you overshadow that beefy taste. Not good! Next, I season my fresh prawns lightly as well and set aside while I chop my tomatoes and onions. Then I fry my tomatoes and smoked bell peppers in palm oil, add crayfish, meats, and green et voila! It’s that simple.

If you give this recipe a try, be sure to Instagram, Facebook or Twit me a photo. As always, I love seeing your creations. Keep in mind, I’ve got more SUPA recipes on my YouTube channel. You can try my Asian-inspired veggie stir-fry or make this extremely delicious meatballed scotch eggs. Here is a weight loss meal plan you can follow if you are trying to lose some weight. And don’t forget to hit the subscribe button if you haven’t done so already so you never miss a video recipe.

Wash and season assorted meats with salt, seasoning and onions. Cook meat until 95% cooked and then set aside.

Wash green thoroughly to remove any stones

Slice to desirable sizes and set aside.

Bring water to boil in a pot, add a small piece of akanwa aka. bicarbonate of soda. Once akanwa has dissolved in boiling water, add green, turn the heat completely off and cover the pot. The akanwa will soften the green just enough to reduce the crunch while maintaining a beautiful green color.

After 10 minutes, strain green, and wash thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and also to get rid of the akanwa. Make sure to squeeze out all excess water to avoid watery efo riro.

Fry prawns in a little oil or boil with salt only.

Smoke bell peppers in the oven by sprinkling some vegetable oil on it and popping it in the oven to roast untill it turns golden brown on the surface.

Hey my lovelies, today I’m taking you on a culinary excursion to the vibrant pulse of West Africa, the land of lively markets and rich musical culture – Senegal. Bustling, colorful and a country of contrasts, Senegal is known for its variety of rich foods. The Senegalese enjoy staples like rice, couscous, and millet. But let me introduce you to Poulet (Engl. chicken) yassa; a very popular dish among the people of the Casamance region of Senegal. Chicken yassa is simply grilled chicken marinated in caramelized onion, lemons, and Dijon mustard sauce.

Traditionally, it is made by mixing Dijon Mustard, lemon, peanut oil and onions and letting the mixture marinate overnight or at least for a couple of hours. Then, broiling or grilling the chicken over a charcoal fire to cook. Next, onions are caramelized which means cooking the onions until they are deep brown and produce a rich, sweet taste that is more pronounced. Then, the broiled or grilled chicken is added and cooked till tender.

For this recipe, I added Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) which enhances the taste even more as it combines with mustard. I broiled the chicken in a pan first, then browned it in the oven but you can totally broil in a pan only. It’s that simple. It is recommended to use as many onions as possible and grill the marinated chicken over a charcoal fire.

Even though I didn’t let the chicken marinate overnight as it is recommended, the result was a rich, creamy and sauce with a touch of zing from lemons. Absolutely delicious. Chicken yassa can be eaten with couscous, rice or even fufu. Watch me make some live below:

Clean chicken thoroughly. Add mustard, onions, lemon juice, ACV, salt and seasoning and mix well. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours or at least for a couple of hours.

Remove chicken and broil (cook under high heat) in hot peanut oil until golden brown. Alternatively, you can roast chicken over a charcoal fire to give it a smoky taste.

Once chicken is almost cooked, remove it and set aside. Now add onions to the oil used to broil the chicken and caramelize (cook until onions become tansluscent and light brown light caramelized sugar) your onions.

Add your chicken and sauté for about 5 more minutes.

Serve with couscous, rice or fufu and enjoy.

Notes

1. You can definitely leave out ACV and substitute it with 6 more tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

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Hi guys!

I'm Zee, your certified health & weight loss coach. I love Jesus and delicious healthy food. My blog is all about holistic health: the health of the body, soul, and spirit. So I'll be sharing my food, faith, fitness and fashion life with you and cheering you on your journey to a healthier, happier YOU as well.
Welcome to my world!

Zita Bernice Tiena.

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